#BeOpenDESIGN
The Accordion Modular Sofa by Yuqi Wang is a brilliantly adaptable piece of furniture that transforms the way we think about sofas. Using a single compressible module, it can expand, shrink, or curve to fit any space, from a compact loveseat to a sprawling sectional. Its flat-pack design simplifies transport, reduces packaging waste, and lowers the carbon footprint, while adjustable knobs and clever internal mechanisms make reconfiguring effortless. Inspired by the fluid motion of an accordion, the sofa combines practical innovation, sustainable design, and playful versatility, making it both a functional solution and a visually captivating centerpiece for modern living spaces.
More extraordinary sofas on our blog.
The Accordion Modular Sofa by Yuqi Wang is a brilliantly adaptable piece of furniture that transforms the way we think about sofas. Using a single compressible module, it can expand, shrink, or curve to fit any space, from a compact loveseat to a sprawling sectional. Its flat-pack design simplifies transport, reduces packaging waste, and lowers the carbon footprint, while adjustable knobs and clever internal mechanisms make reconfiguring effortless. Inspired by the fluid motion of an accordion, the sofa combines practical innovation, sustainable design, and playful versatility, making it both a functional solution and a visually captivating centerpiece for modern living spaces.
More extraordinary sofas on our blog.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Designer Sree Krishna Pillarisetti created the Soft Drive, a portable USB storage device with a casing made from mycelium, hemp fibers, and bioplastic derived from waste materials. The translucent shell reveals the organic fungal structure that cushions the electronics inside, offering natural shock absorption while highlighting a biodegradable alternative to plastic. Developed as an MFA thesis at Parsons School of Design, the 8GB concept challenges cloud dependence and e-waste by reimagining data storage as a tangible, regenerative object that can eventually return to the earth.
Designer Sree Krishna Pillarisetti created the Soft Drive, a portable USB storage device with a casing made from mycelium, hemp fibers, and bioplastic derived from waste materials. The translucent shell reveals the organic fungal structure that cushions the electronics inside, offering natural shock absorption while highlighting a biodegradable alternative to plastic. Developed as an MFA thesis at Parsons School of Design, the 8GB concept challenges cloud dependence and e-waste by reimagining data storage as a tangible, regenerative object that can eventually return to the earth.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) research studio Matter Design have developed Heirloom House, a system of nine massive modular concrete components designed to last up to 1,000 years. Engineered with pivoting bases that allow the heavy elements to be manually rearranged, the project proposes adaptable architecture that can evolve with changing needs reducing demolition, waste, and energy use while turning buildings into long-lasting, reconfigurable structures.
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) research studio Matter Design have developed Heirloom House, a system of nine massive modular concrete components designed to last up to 1,000 years. Engineered with pivoting bases that allow the heavy elements to be manually rearranged, the project proposes adaptable architecture that can evolve with changing needs reducing demolition, waste, and energy use while turning buildings into long-lasting, reconfigurable structures.
#BeOpenART
Designer Michael Jantzen has proposed Solar Wind Gazebos, public pavilions for university campuses that combine gathering spaces with renewable energy generation. The stainless steel structures feature a circular solar panel at the center of the roof and four vertical-axis wind turbines at the corners, producing electricity that feeds into the campus grid. With built-in seating, device charging points, and lighting powered by the system itself, the gazebos transform renewable infrastructure into an interactive space where students can sit, work, and directly experience clean energy in everyday campus life.
Designer Michael Jantzen has proposed Solar Wind Gazebos, public pavilions for university campuses that combine gathering spaces with renewable energy generation. The stainless steel structures feature a circular solar panel at the center of the roof and four vertical-axis wind turbines at the corners, producing electricity that feeds into the campus grid. With built-in seating, device charging points, and lighting powered by the system itself, the gazebos transform renewable infrastructure into an interactive space where students can sit, work, and directly experience clean energy in everyday campus life.
#BeOpenARCH
Designed by Brazilian architect Nathalia Cristina de Souza Vilela Telis, the Amazon Immersion Pavilion is a conceptual project for Iquitos that invites visitors to experience the rainforest through sound, light, and texture. Built primarily from bamboo and shaped by biomimicry, the two-level pavilion creates a sensory journey from a calm, enclosed space with water and filtered light to an open viewing platform overlooking the Amazon River. Through passive ventilation, natural materials, and low-impact construction ideas, the design aims to deepen visitors’ connection with the forest while respecting the surrounding ecosystem.
Designed by Brazilian architect Nathalia Cristina de Souza Vilela Telis, the Amazon Immersion Pavilion is a conceptual project for Iquitos that invites visitors to experience the rainforest through sound, light, and texture. Built primarily from bamboo and shaped by biomimicry, the two-level pavilion creates a sensory journey from a calm, enclosed space with water and filtered light to an open viewing platform overlooking the Amazon River. Through passive ventilation, natural materials, and low-impact construction ideas, the design aims to deepen visitors’ connection with the forest while respecting the surrounding ecosystem.
#BeOpenARCH
Developed by Athens-based 314 Architecture Studio, Metamorphosis is a conceptual winery nestled in the vineyards of Nemea, envisioned as a circular structure partially embedded in the terrain with a planted roof that seamlessly extends into the surrounding landscape. From afar, it reads as a geological formation, while its smooth, UFO-like geometry evokes futuristic machinery gradually absorbed by nature. Accessed through a subtle cut in the the vineyard fields that descends beneath the planted roof, the design draws on ancient Mycenaean tholos tombs while symbolizing the transformation of grapes into wine.
Developed by Athens-based 314 Architecture Studio, Metamorphosis is a conceptual winery nestled in the vineyards of Nemea, envisioned as a circular structure partially embedded in the terrain with a planted roof that seamlessly extends into the surrounding landscape. From afar, it reads as a geological formation, while its smooth, UFO-like geometry evokes futuristic machinery gradually absorbed by nature. Accessed through a subtle cut in the the vineyard fields that descends beneath the planted roof, the design draws on ancient Mycenaean tholos tombs while symbolizing the transformation of grapes into wine.
#BeOpenARCH
The Kulhad Pavilion by the architecture studio Wallmakers transforms thousands of discarded terracotta tea cups into a temporary public structure on Miramar Beach for the Serendipity Arts Festival 2025. Built using more than 18,000 reused kulhads collected from communities in Dharavi, the pavilion reinterprets a familiar object from India’s railway tea culture as a building material. The structure is formed through three compressive catenary vaults that rely on geometry and gravity rather than reinforcement, creating a porous masonry surface that filters light and air. As the vaults curve along the edge of the beach, they provide shaded seating, informal gathering space, and shelter for both people and animals, demonstrating how everyday waste can be reimagined as a civic architectural element.
More designs transforming discarded materials on our blog.
The Kulhad Pavilion by the architecture studio Wallmakers transforms thousands of discarded terracotta tea cups into a temporary public structure on Miramar Beach for the Serendipity Arts Festival 2025. Built using more than 18,000 reused kulhads collected from communities in Dharavi, the pavilion reinterprets a familiar object from India’s railway tea culture as a building material. The structure is formed through three compressive catenary vaults that rely on geometry and gravity rather than reinforcement, creating a porous masonry surface that filters light and air. As the vaults curve along the edge of the beach, they provide shaded seating, informal gathering space, and shelter for both people and animals, demonstrating how everyday waste can be reimagined as a civic architectural element.
More designs transforming discarded materials on our blog.
#BeOpenART
In Hanoi, ODDO architects have turned over 40,000 recycled plastic bags and traditional handmade paper into a glowing public pavilion that merges sustainability, craft, and community engagement. The wing-like structure filters daylight to create shifting patterns inside, while at night it transforms into a luminous urban landmark. Local volunteers helped collect the plastic, and kindergarten children contributed drawings that decorate the interior domes, adding a playful, personal layer to the space. Designed as a temporary exhibition venue, the pavilion not only showcases Vietnamese architecture but also reimagines plastic waste as a valuable, reusable material, proving that environmental responsibility and striking design can coexist beautifully.
More art objects made of repurposed materials on our blog.
In Hanoi, ODDO architects have turned over 40,000 recycled plastic bags and traditional handmade paper into a glowing public pavilion that merges sustainability, craft, and community engagement. The wing-like structure filters daylight to create shifting patterns inside, while at night it transforms into a luminous urban landmark. Local volunteers helped collect the plastic, and kindergarten children contributed drawings that decorate the interior domes, adding a playful, personal layer to the space. Designed as a temporary exhibition venue, the pavilion not only showcases Vietnamese architecture but also reimagines plastic waste as a valuable, reusable material, proving that environmental responsibility and striking design can coexist beautifully.
More art objects made of repurposed materials on our blog.
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BE OPEN Art is pleased to announce Sayda Shukri as the March Regional Artist of the Month in the Northeastern Africa stage of its 2026 global art competition. Sayda Shukri is a young self-taught artist from Sudan whose work celebrates the richness of Sudanese cultural heritage.
As the third monthly winner in this regional stage, Sayda Shukri now joins January winner Reem Aljeally and February winner Aissa Joud in the run for the title of Regional Artist of Northeastern Africa, to be announced at the end of April. Running from January through April, this stage recognizes outstanding emerging artists from across the region, including Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Egypt, and Madagascar. The selected Regional Winner will receive a €500 cash prize and increased international visibility through the BE OPEN Art platform.
BE OPEN Art is pleased to announce Sayda Shukri as the March Regional Artist of the Month in the Northeastern Africa stage of its 2026 global art competition. Sayda Shukri is a young self-taught artist from Sudan whose work celebrates the richness of Sudanese cultural heritage.
As the third monthly winner in this regional stage, Sayda Shukri now joins January winner Reem Aljeally and February winner Aissa Joud in the run for the title of Regional Artist of Northeastern Africa, to be announced at the end of April. Running from January through April, this stage recognizes outstanding emerging artists from across the region, including Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Egypt, and Madagascar. The selected Regional Winner will receive a €500 cash prize and increased international visibility through the BE OPEN Art platform.
#BeOpenARCH
The Underground House of the Future in Zhangbian Township reimagines the traditional dikengyuan courtyard dwelling for a changing climate. Led by John Lin, Olivier Ottevaere, and Lidia Ratoi from University of Hong Kong, the project adapts the centuries-old underground housing typology using community collaboration, brick vaults, and large-scale 3D-printed earth. Its central courtyard becomes a stepped amphitheater with improved drainage and a tensile canopy, preserving the thermal comfort and agricultural land use of loess homes while making the space resilient to extreme rainfall and suitable for village gatherings.
The Underground House of the Future in Zhangbian Township reimagines the traditional dikengyuan courtyard dwelling for a changing climate. Led by John Lin, Olivier Ottevaere, and Lidia Ratoi from University of Hong Kong, the project adapts the centuries-old underground housing typology using community collaboration, brick vaults, and large-scale 3D-printed earth. Its central courtyard becomes a stepped amphitheater with improved drainage and a tensile canopy, preserving the thermal comfort and agricultural land use of loess homes while making the space resilient to extreme rainfall and suitable for village gatherings.
#BeOpenARCH
At Trompenburg Arboretum, Walden Studio created Bolster, a pod-like timber pavilion for the Voedselbos De Overtuin. Inspired by the protective shells of chestnuts and pinecones, its oak façade panels lift upward to form canopies, revealing storage, benches, a sink, and a composting toilet. Built largely from locally sourced, salvaged, and recycled materials, the hexagonal structure opens to support outdoor activity while closing into a compact wooden form that protects its contents and blends into the forest landscape.
At Trompenburg Arboretum, Walden Studio created Bolster, a pod-like timber pavilion for the Voedselbos De Overtuin. Inspired by the protective shells of chestnuts and pinecones, its oak façade panels lift upward to form canopies, revealing storage, benches, a sink, and a composting toilet. Built largely from locally sourced, salvaged, and recycled materials, the hexagonal structure opens to support outdoor activity while closing into a compact wooden form that protects its contents and blends into the forest landscape.
#BeOpenDESIGN
American interior designer Kelly Wearstler made her first musical instrument with Timbra, a rimless grand piano created for Edelweiss Pianos. Drawing inspiration from natural forms like sand dunes and flowing water, Wearstler designed the piano with undulating, curvaceous edges that extend to the lid, body, legs, and accompanying curved timber stool, emphasizing fluidity and movement in both form and sound. CNC-milled birch veneer was selected for its acoustic qualities and expressive grain, while the soundboard uses Sitka spruce supported by a patented welded steel frame. Available in six translucent finishes, Timbra embodies Wearstler’s philosophy of designing with the instrument rather than around it, creating a sculptural presence that transforms a space while respecting the piano’s inherent acoustic logic.
American interior designer Kelly Wearstler made her first musical instrument with Timbra, a rimless grand piano created for Edelweiss Pianos. Drawing inspiration from natural forms like sand dunes and flowing water, Wearstler designed the piano with undulating, curvaceous edges that extend to the lid, body, legs, and accompanying curved timber stool, emphasizing fluidity and movement in both form and sound. CNC-milled birch veneer was selected for its acoustic qualities and expressive grain, while the soundboard uses Sitka spruce supported by a patented welded steel frame. Available in six translucent finishes, Timbra embodies Wearstler’s philosophy of designing with the instrument rather than around it, creating a sculptural presence that transforms a space while respecting the piano’s inherent acoustic logic.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Created by Heatherwick Studio for British lighting brand Tala, the Wake lamp reimagines the alarm clock as a calming lighting object rather than a disruptive bedside gadget. The device mimics the natural progression of sunrise and sunset, gradually increasing light in the morning to wake users gently and fading to warm amber tones in the evening to encourage sleep. The lamp conceals its technology within a sculptural body made from hand-glazed ceramic and mouth-blown glass, eliminating visible buttons or screens. Instead, users interact with the rippled ceramic base by rotating and pressing it to adjust settings, allowing the product to maintain a sense of analogue calm while integrating features such as white noise, customisable lighting and circadian-friendly illumination.
More unconventional alarm cloks on our blog.
Created by Heatherwick Studio for British lighting brand Tala, the Wake lamp reimagines the alarm clock as a calming lighting object rather than a disruptive bedside gadget. The device mimics the natural progression of sunrise and sunset, gradually increasing light in the morning to wake users gently and fading to warm amber tones in the evening to encourage sleep. The lamp conceals its technology within a sculptural body made from hand-glazed ceramic and mouth-blown glass, eliminating visible buttons or screens. Instead, users interact with the rippled ceramic base by rotating and pressing it to adjust settings, allowing the product to maintain a sense of analogue calm while integrating features such as white noise, customisable lighting and circadian-friendly illumination.
More unconventional alarm cloks on our blog.